Don't Leave Me
by futureauthor612
Summary: Cedric isn't dead. Cho's still with him. How will Harry move on from this catastrophe of Voldemort's return, if no one believes him, not even Cedric? And what happens when a mysterious new stranger wanders into his life? M for violence and sexual content.
1. The Beginning of the End

**Hey everybody! So, for any of you who have read my Degrassi fanfic, **_**What If JT Hadn't Died?, **_**you know that I like to write about what could have happened if certain characters hadn't died (and for those of you who haven't read it, go ahead and read it!)! So, here's my new story, based on another obssession of mine: Harry Potter. There you have it. Harry Potter is one of my all-time favorite book/movie series. I am completely and utterly obssessed. J.K. Rowling is my **_**idol**_**. I look up to her as an author and a woman, because her books are so powerful, and anyone who can move me like she can in her books is a hero in **_**my**_** book. **

**So, onto the reason why I am writing this fanfic. I was recently watching the fourth **_**Harry Potter**_** movie, **_**Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire.**_** When Cedric died, I found myself really sad. I mean, sure, he was full of himself, but when you get down to it, he had a good heart. And thus I was brought to thinking: What if Cedric had **_**not**_** died? What would have happened? So here is my opinion on that notion. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Also, just a word about this chapter: It will mostly be based on the book. This chapter is simply an explanation of what has happened. That's also why it's so short. The next chapters will probably be longer. **

**If you like this story, review and I will keep writing. It's on a trial basis, so tell me what you think. Also, the next chapters will not be in this form. There will, of course, be names, and the story will be less vague. **

**Thanks for reading! **

* * *

The leaves rustled about his head as the two boys ran, stumbling over roots and branches. Their breathing came out heavily, their pulses throbbing in their temples.

But there- up ahead! There was a light! The much sought-after Cup! Each boy could see himself now; walking out of the maze, trophy in hand. At last, it would be his. But there could only be one TriWizard Champion, and each knew it would be difficult to succeed.

The boys continued to run, flailing their arms and legs to gain momentum.

And suddenly, one tripped, falling to the ground. His leg was injured, and he felt that he could not go any further. How sad, that the cup was so close, yet so out of reach. He waved to the other boy, signaling that _he_ should go on without him. But his friend was hesitant. How easy it would have been to immediately dash towards the trophy, to grab the imminent glory that could have befallen him. But his conscience told him otherwise. His conscience told him to give the Cup to his friend with the black hair, the one who was now lying on the ground staring up at him, clutching his leg. So the fair-haired boy said no. He refused to go ahead, insisting that the other should instead. This arguing went on for a few moments, until finally the black-haired boy with glasses said that they would grab it together.

And when they touched it, something incredible and unexpected happened. They were transported to a different place. This one was dark and eerily silent. Both boys knew that no good could come out of this.

Then, out of the shadows, came a dark figure. In its arms was a small childlike bundle. And then one of the boys collapsed with pain, his hands shooting to his face. He yelled hasty warnings to his friend, but it was too late. A cold, high-pitched command came from the bundle in the distance, and there was a flash of green light. Then the boy released his hands from his face, only to find his fellow on the floor, dead.

The rest was a blur for the boy. He was tied up, and his blood was used to help a certain Dark Lord rise again. And though he screamed and screamed of agony and fear, his screams were not heard. He was left to fend for himself, with only the help of spirits past to save him.

But this was not the first time he had been left alone, forced to fight. And it would probably not be the last.

Why? Because this boy was famous. Famous because he was sought-after by that same Dark Lord who had just been rehabilitated by the boy's blood.

This boy's name was Harry Potter.


	2. All A Lie

Harry Potter shot up in bed, his heart racing. Beads of sweat formed by his brow as he checked the time: four o'clock in the morning. He sighed, laying back down. This had been happening very often lately, the nightmares about that night at the graveyard. Everything had been so confusing, as much as he hated to admit it.

* * *

He had returned to Hogwarts with Cedric's body, his body racked with sobs. At first everyone had been thrilled; their champions had returned at last! But slowly the real occurences dawned on them: Cedric was dead. Harry was being dragged away by Professor Moody, but managed to look over and see Cho Chang, his crush since third year, crying. He felt his jaw clench up; in truth all he wanted was her happiness, but he had always had the hopes in the back of his mind that she would come crawling to him one day. Yet now, seeing how depressed she was over Ced, it made his heart wrench, and for a moment he was glad that his fellow champion was dead. But then guilt washed over him; guilt for being so selfish and for allowing the pressure of the game to overtake him. He allowed his head to fall in a slump as he was dragged towards the castle by the professor.

Then he heard something that made both him and, in turn, Professor Moody, stop short. A gasp of shock, then mumbles of confusion, and finally, cheers and cries of joy. And he turned to see the back of a boy, standing, with light hair and a tall, sturdy build, holding his hands up high before the crowd. Then the boy turned to face in Harry's direction, and to Harry's utter shock, it was Cedric. Standing there, face glowing, as the crowd cheered behind him. He ran towards Harry, and Moody released him as the other boy enveloped him in a hug. Harry's jaw had fallen open and somehow he could not manage to close it. Finally he stammered, "Cedric? What- how?"

Cedric just grinned his charming, toothy grin mysteriously, and simply replied, "It was all thanks to you, Harry." And Harry's jaw fell open again as Cedric walked back in the direction of the crowd, waving. He turned to Moody, who was standing there, eyes (well, _eye_) wide. But the older man didn't seem very interested in dragging him back to the castle now; he simply turned and walked away, leaving Harry to join the cheering crowd who were now lifting Cedric into the air.

The next day, while Harry, Ron and Hermione had been on a walk, Cedric had pulled Harry over and explained everything. The spell had missed him by mere millimeters, but with the force of the blast, and the shock of near-death, Cedric had fainted, only to awaken seconds after they had returned to Hogwarts. Cedric told Harry that he would have helped him against whoever it was that had cursed him, had he been conscious.

At this point, Harry stopped walking. "_Whoever_ it was?" Cedric nodded, looking at him strangely. "Cedric, it was Vold-" Cedric quickly placed a hand over his mouth to block out the word, his eyes wide, and Harry pulled his hand off. "It was You-Know-Who, Cedric. He's back. I was up against him, plus the Death Eaters."

Cedric frowned, his eyebrows raising slightly. "You-Know-Who?" He said in a flat, somewhat sarcastic tone. "Harry, please, you have to be kidding me. You-Know-Who has been gone for years; he's never coming back._ You _of all people should know that, Harry, I mean, come on, you're the one who killed him!"

"So, he's been gone, who's to say he would never come back?" Harry grabbed Cedric's shoulders urgently. "Cedric, you _must_ believe me. I wouldn't lie about this sort of thing, I swear!"

Cedric shook his head. "Why would I believe you? The entire wizarding world doesn't believe you!"

"Dumbledore believes me!"

"Listen, Harry, I think you're a great person, and a great wizard, but I just- I just can't believe you. Not when you have absolutely _zero_ proof of this incident." He shrugged at the horrified look on Harry's face. "I'm sorry, Harry." And then he walked away, leaving Harry shaking his head miserably.

* * *

That was already two months ago. Harry sat in his room now, bored as hell. The entire summer had gone by uneventfully. Not a word of postage from his friends. None whatsoever. Except, of course, for one letter from school, which was sent to all the students, informing them that Professor Moody would not be returning the next year, as he had been discovered as a Death Eater in disguise. Barty Crouch Jr. Quite unexpected.

He felt so lonely, so disconnected from the outside world. And he was angry. He glanced at the clock again. It now read 4:25. He hadn't been able to fall asleep after this nightmare; it was much too realistic. So he just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly he heard a click downstairs. His heart froze. A shiver came over him, even though it was not at all cold in his tiny room.

And then footsteps, edging ever-so-slowly up the stairs. Harry groaned inwardly at the thought that struck him: the door closed from the outside, so he couldn't even lock this person out! He stood up and tiptoed gently until he was standing in front of the door, wand out, ready to hex anyone who walked through that door. The knob turned, and in walked...

"Professor Moody?" He said hesitantly, not knowing if this was the real thing or not. And then behind him Harry saw other wizards who appeared to be Aurors. "Who are you all?" His wand still pointed at Moody.

"Don't worry, Harry, he's the real thing. Crouch was locked up in Azkaban. He'll be doing hard time there, trust me." This was a large, muscular, dark-skinned man, with a heavy accent of some sort. "I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt. This is Nymphadora Tonks, and..." He then proceeded to name everyone in the group, and then told Harry to follow them. In response to "Where are we going?" from Harry, Kingsley answered, "Headquarters, of course."

* * *

Harry was ecstatic to see Hermione and Ron, whom he'd missed so much, but he was also very angry at them. "No letters?" He asked them angrily. "Why would you do that to me? Just leave me in the dark? I could have helped with whatever was needed!"

Hermione looked at him pityingly. "We're sorry, Harry, but Dumbledore told us not to correspond with you. He said our letters could be intercepted-"

"Oh, so there's no such thing as cryptic messages anymore?"

"That's not what I meant either!" Hermione glanced at Ron desperately.

"Look, Harry, it wasn't our decision. We were told to have strictly no correspondence with you. Sorry, Harry." Harry's only response to Ron's apology was to shake his head and sit down on the bed in a slump.


	3. Apology

The next two weeks until they went back to school flew by quickly. Before Harry knew it, they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, trunks in hands. Mrs. Weasley enveloped Harry, Ron and Hermione in a hug and tearfully waved goodbye, and then they were off.

The three of them found a compartment that was empty, and sat down. An awkward silence hung in the air. Finally Hermione let out a deep rush of breath and turned to Harry. "Look, we said we're sorry, what more could we possibly do to make it up to you?" She exclaimed furiously.

Harry shrugged and looked down, ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, guys. I've just been so distraught about everything that happened last year, it's just been kind of crazy. I shouldn't have upset you guys as well. Will you forgive me?"

Hermione sighed. "Of course we will. Won't we, Ronald?"

Ron suddenly jerked up; having gotten very little sleep last night he had been taking a small nap. "What? Erm...Yeah, right. What she said." He mumbled incoherently and then fell back asleep.

Hermione rolled her eyes, leaning back against the seat with Crookshanks in her arms. "I'm glad everything's okay now. But wow, that trial about the dementors was simply horrible, wasn't it?"

"Gee, Hermione, thanks for bringing it up."

"Sorry."

Suddenly Crookshanks leaped off Hermione's lap and scurried out into the hallway. "Crookshanks!" Hermione yelled after him, as Harry muttered "I'll get him," and went to chase after the cat.

Crookshanks had come to a halt right outside the compartment, where he was being petted by a girl with long jet-black hair. The girl scooped the feline into her arms and handed him to Harry, who was at a loss for words considering it was Cho.

"Hi, Harry." She said shyly. "Is this your cat?"

"Erm...no...Hermione's..." He managed to stammer.

She smiled a small smile, brushed her hair back from her face, and began to make her way in the opposite direction. "Bye, Harry."

"Wait- Cho!" She turned around and looked at him questioningly, her large black eyes blinking at him. "Do you... wanna... come into our compartment and sit with us?" He could barely breathe from anticipation.

"Sorry, Harry, but I already have a seat. With Cedric." She shrugged apologetically and then turned around and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway with the hissing cat fidgeting in his arms.

He stumbled back into the compartment to find Hermione looking up at him sadly, frowning. She immediately stammered, "I'm sorry! I was wondering why you were taking so long so I peeked out and... might've... heard your conversation. I'm sorry."

Harry sighed and shrugged, staring out the window thoughtfully for the rest of the journey.

Later that night, full from the Welcome Feast and nearly nauseous from the news about their new DADA teacher, Professor Umbridge, Harry decided to turn in early. He waved goodbye to Hermione and Ron, who were talking to Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, and headed upstairs. As he was on the last staircase to the Gryffindor dormitory, it began to move. The staircase led him to another floor entirely. "Damn," Harry muttered under his breath as he turned to face the direction he _should_ have been going in. He sighed and turned around, heading for the top of the stairs. It was dark, and his lack of sight caused him to ram right into someone in the hallway.

"Ow! Watch it!"

Harry recognized that voice. "Cedric?"

"Harry?" Although it was dark, Harry could make out Cedric's eyes widening considerably. "What are you doing here? This is the way to the Hufflepuff dormitory."

Harry shrugged. "You know, those staircases can really be a pain..." He laughed awkwardly.

Cedric sighed. "Listen, Harry..." He pulled him into a deserted classroom and shut the door. "About last year... what I said to you... it wasn't right. And I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged again. "It's okay, Cedric, I mean, why believe me when you can believe half the wizarding world?"

"Harry, that's not the point. I mean, I just... I never got the chance to thank you. You saved my life. If you hadn't taken me back, I probably would have been killed by those people the second I woke up in the graveyard."

At Cedric's words, Harry felt anger bubble up inside him. _Those people?_ He thought furiously, but calmed himself. It wasn't Cedric's fault if he didn't believe him. It was some form of human nature, after all. Just normal. "No big deal," Harry muttered.

"Yes, it was. So," Cedric leaned in so close that Harry could feel his breath on his face. "Thank you." He looked at Harry sincerely for a few moments before nodding and saying, "Well, I'd better be getting off to the common room now," and exiting the room.


	4. Dumbledore's Army Is Born

**OMG, keep reviewing! Reviews are the ONLY thing that keeps me writing these fics! So, as you will see in this chapter, as well as upcoming chapters, I'm (obviously) going to steer a bit more away from the original HP books than initially intended. This is because, to write the entire book over, and to only change the things that would be different in my fic, would be near impossible for me, as well as boring and predictable for all of you (since you expect something different from the book). That was just a little heads up. Keep reviewing!**

**futureauthor612 ;)**

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione exited their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with beet-red faces and furious minds. "How dare she?" Hermione yelled, speaking of their teacher, Professor Umbridge. "How dare she refuse to allow us to use magic? It's unheard of!"

As Hermione rambled on, Harry allowed his thoughts to wander back to their previous class. Umbridge had called him a liar, surely reenforcing that idea in all of his peers' minds as well. He, like Hermione, was fuming, but prefered to ponder as opposed to venting. He chewed on the insides of his cheeks as they walked, fury bubbling inside of him.

Later that night they sat in the common room, after all the others had gone to bed. Hermione stared out the window, silently brewing. Suddenly she turned sharply to face Ron and Harry. "You know what this means, right?" She said, addressing Harry more than Ron. Harry looked at her questioningly. Hermione sighed impatiently. "If Umbridge won't teach us, someone else has to."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, right. Good luck finding someone here who believes there's a cause to be prepared, let alone someone who _knows_ enough to teach us. And Umbridge'll probably forbid it anyway, so what's the point?"

"That's why we'll have to do it secretly." Hermione said sincerely. Harry stared at her as though she'd just awoken from a coma and was babbling incoherently.

"Secretly? Isn't that something highly against your moral standards?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry, and whispered, "You know we need this."

Harry rolled his eyes indignantly and said, "Fine. That's great. But, uh, who did you have in mind for this?" His eyebrows were raised skeptically.

Hermione turned to Ron, who nodded approvingly, then turned back to Harry and replied, "You."

* * *

"I refuse to do it!" Harry yelled, causing several people to look around, bewildered. "I won't! I don't know anything more than you both, and you know that!"

"Harry!" Hermione hissed, clamping a hand over his mouth, and flashing an apologetic smile to the disturbed bystanders. They were sitting in the Hog's Head, a bar in Hogsmeade with significantly fewer customers. This was why Hermione had chosen the place to meet. She turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Come on, Harry, you must. How else can we fight... How else can we fight..." Hermione winced, as though what she wanted to say was rather painful, and choked out, "Voldemort?"

Harry looked at her relieved face, surprised at her use of the Dark Lord's name. Hermione sighed, glancing at Ron for moral support, and murmuring, "Please, Harry. If you don't teach us, how will we ever learn? It _has_ to be you. Don't you get it?"

Ron nodded. "She's right, Harry. You're the bloke for the job. The only one."

Harry sighed, exhasperated, and glanced between his two best friends. Hermione tried to convince him one last time. "Listen, Harry, we'll see who shows up to this meeting, alright? Then we'll decide if it's the right thing to do. Let's just try. Please?"

"Fine," Harry groaned, finally succumbing to his friends' pleas. And just in time, for at that exact moment, a wave of adolescents entered the room. Fred and George Weasley were first to step up. "What are you two doing here?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Here to support you, stupid! We believe in you!" They grinned and grabbed chairs for themselves.

After them came many more. Harry even noticed Cho Chang in the group. And he searched, but to no avail, for Cedric. It appeared Cedric was still not convinced. Harry could only wish there was a way he could change that.

"Well, that went rather well!" Hermione exclaimed after everyone except her, Ron, and Harry had gone back to school.

Harry shrugged in response.

"Oh, come _on_, Harry. You've got to admit it feels good having all these people believing in you, looking up to you to guide them. Isn't that... fulfilling?" Hermione persisted.

Harry shrugged again, non-commital. It _had_ been a good feeling, knowing all those people believed him. But at the same time, he hated that. Hated that they all counted on him to redeem them. It was from his lessons they would know how to fight Voldemort. That just felt like so much...pressure. His friends' lives were depending on him. That didn't make him feel very good at all. In fact, it made him a bit queasy.

Another thing that made him _very_ sick to his stomach was what he saw afterwards. He, Ron and Hermione were on their way out of Hogsmeade. Hermione dropped a piece of paper, one that listed all the names of those in the "class" Harry would be teaching. He bent down to pick it up for her when he saw them. Cedric and Cho. Snogging as though there was no tomorrow, as though the world depended on it. Harry felt his breath catch in his throat and stood up, completely forgetting about the piece of paper he had bent down to retrieve in the first place.


	5. Heartbreak

_Don't open your eyes. Don't open your eyes and everything will be fine. If you keep your eyes closed nothing can happen to you. If you keep them closed for just a bit longer then, when you finally open them, this will all have been a dream. Cedric and Cho won't be together, and all of this won't be real. Everyone will believe your story. Everyone will know that it is _you_ who is telling the truth, not them. Just keep those eyes closed, and you won't get hurt._

Although Harry listened to that voice inside his head for a few moments, when he opened them it didn't feel like much had changed. When he got downstairs and entered the Great Hall, he knew for a fact that that little voice had been wrong. Angry, disbelieving faces glared up at him as he walked, especially the Slytherins. And those who did believe him provided little comfort; their faces stared up at him with pity etched in every line, pity for him and what he had to go through. And some of the children had pity on their faces, but not for the same reason; they pitied him because, surely from reading the _Daily Prophet_, they believed he had gone mad.

Hermione looked up as he sat down across from her and Ron, and frowned at him sadly. He immediately placed his hands over his eyes, exhasperated. "Hermione, could you quit looking at me like that? As if I don't feel horrible enough already!"

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry, I just can't bear seeing you like this!"

Harry shrugged, despaired. Hermione looked overwhelmed at his sadness. "Why don't you go talk to her?"

"Right, like she gives a Blast-Ended Skrewt what I think!"

"Come on, Harry... It won't be that bad." Ron put in, frowning.

"And how do you figure that? It's easy for you two to say; your hearts have never been broken."

Hermione stood up instantly. "How can you say that, Harry? That's an awful thing to say!" And with that she skulked away in a huff.

Harry groaned. "Great, another person to hate me!"

Ron patted her on the back. "She'll be all right, mate. And so will you! Just give it some time." Harry looked up at him, shrugging. "I'll catch you later, eh, Harry?"

"Sure," Harry muttered, turning back to his breakfast, which had grown cold.

* * *

That night Harry awoke with a shiver, his bedclothes drenched in sweat. He pulled off the covers, finding relief from the cool night air, and took a glance at the window. It was still dark outside; it was probably only two or three o'clock. Harry sighed and lay back down, closing his eyes. Try as he might have, he could not fall asleep.

Finally, after what seemed like decades of lying there waiting for sleep to befall him, he sat up in bed and pulled out the Marauder's Map. Maybe there would be someone else up in the middle of the night for him to talk to...

He frowned at the name above the one little dot moving that caught his eye: Cho's dot. What was Cho doing up that late? He quickly shook that question out of his brain and replaced it with a new one: If he _did _do what he was about to, would there be consequences?

But Harry shook that question out too and rolled out of bed, slipping on a dressing gown over his pajamas. He tiptoed out of the dormitory, closing the door quietly behind him. He left behind the Invisibily Cloak, knowng he wouldn't need it; he _wanted_ Cho to see him, didn't he? So he brought along only his wand and the Marauder's Map. As he followed Cho from a far distance, only knowing where she was from the Map, he found she was going to a floor that hardly anyone ever used. In fact, the first time he'd been on that floor was the previous year. It was the floor which held the large, exquisite Prefect's bathroom. Harry wondered vaguely what she'd be doing in a bathroom at two o'clock in the morning, but continued to follow her. When he saw her enter the bathroom, he put away the map and broke into a fast-paced walk.

As he neared the place where he would find Cho, he began hearing soft voices and laughter coming through the door. One was certainly Cho's, but Harry didn't know to whom the other voice belonged. He frowned as he got closer, heart racing with anticipation. He pressed his ear against the door, listening. Immediately he knew whose voice it was. His heart surged in anger. He decided to take a chance and check to make sure.

Now he cursed himself for not bringing the Invisibility Cloak; he carefully and quietly opened the large brass door, wincing at any hint of a squeak that would give him away.

Unfortunately, what his vision beheld then was less than comforting.

Lips pressing against each other, eyes closed, sharp breathing being inhaled. Hands ran through hair, pulling and knotting, as the bodies moved together.

Harry tried not to gasp as he watched Cho's naked body being pinned against the wall of the bathtub by Cedric, whose lips refused to leave her. He left kisses all up and down her neck and chest as she breathed deeply, eyes closed, her back arching towards the hot, bubbly water. Harry felt his eyes lingering on her breasts, in all their gorgeous essence. Her arms were raised above her head, leaving Harry's eyes all the view he needed. And though this whole ordeal was sending chills and spasms through his body, he wanted to be in Cedric's place. Why hadn't Cho chosen _him_ to do this with?

Harry continued to watch, gaping, mouth open, as Cedric took a deep breath and dove into the water. Immediately Cho let out a ragged breath, her whole body spasming and twisting. She moaned, her mouth opening, gulping breaths of fresh air as though they were the only things that could keep her alive...

And then her eyes opened. They widened when she saw Harry, standing at the entrance. "Harry!" She cried, but it was too late; he was running down the hall, too fast for her.

He reached his dormitory and collapsed into his bed, trying not to cry at what he had just witnessed.


	6. Fight

**Whoa, it has been a LONG time, but I finally got this chapter up! Sorry for taking so long! Okay, so this is a pretty short chapter, but it has a lot of info in it. Hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think and if you want another chapter!  
A quick shoutout to Mizz Twilight, who will hopefully be made very happy in the next couple of chapters! ;) That's all the hints I'm giving, though. You'll have to read to find out!  
Alrighty, here's the chapter! Enjoy!**

**Futureauthor612**

* * *

Harry tried his best to avoid both Cho and Cedric the next day. He couldn't bear to look either of them in the eyes, not after what he'd just witnessed. He moved quickly through the halls, eyes on the ground, bumping into people at random, but he just didn't care. Nothing mattered much anymore.

He could constantly feel Ron's and Hermione's eyes lingering on his back, could feel their eyes burning holes through his head, their concerned faces trying to figure out what was wrong. But he didn't care. He just didn't care.

And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened: the images flowed through his brain over and over again until his heart started racing and he needed to shut his mind against it. It was beginning to overtake him, and that was no good.

That week passed by uneventfully. He still hadn't told anyone what had happened, nor was he planning on it. It was just a whirlwind of dreary classes, meals, and long nights full of tossing and turning.

That weekend was the Hogsmeade trip. Harry told Ron and Hermione that he did not wish to go, but they insisted. He needed to get fresh air and walk around a bit, they told him. So he reluctantly complied.

They took him to the Hog's Head reminding him he'd enjoy it better with some peace and quiet. The Hog's Head was the perfect place to go, considering nobody was there. He sat with them drinking his fire whiskey, looking down at the table while they talked about nonsensical such and such, for he wasn't remotely interested.

Suddenly Ron cried out, "Hey, there's Dean and Seamus!" and proceeded, along with Hermione, to run outside and greet them. Harry shrugged in response and continued to examine the tabletop carefully. He heard the bells of the door tinkle, but decided not to look up. Suddenly he heard a voice; one he had always thought of as sweet and innocent.

"Hi Harry," Said Cho, standing in front of him. He looked up.

"Oh, it's you."

She nodded, looking uncomfortable. "May I sit down?"

Harry shrugged. "Go ahead."

Cho sighed. "Harry, please, look at me, I really want to talk to you." Harry complied reluctantly. "Harry, I'm sorry-"

"Look, the last thing I want from you is an apology, all right? So if that's why you're here than you can leave!" Harry was finding it hard to look at her when somehow a picture of her wearing much less kept popping into his head.

"But Harry, I really didn't mean for you to see that-"

"It's okay, it's fine! It was my fault, really, I shouldn't have been wandering around so late at night, don't worry, it was nothing at all really…" Harry was rambling rather quickly, something he tended to do when he was nervous or upset or lying, all of which he happened to be doing at that moment. Cho seemed to notice this.

"Harry, listen…" She reached her hand up to cover his, but he pulled away, not meeting her eyes. "Harry, I'm sorry! I didn't want you to see that, it was totally not intentional! I really want to still be friends with you. Please?"

"Whatever, Cho, no problem, I mean, we can still be friends, only difference will be that I used to respect you." He shrugged, gaining an air of self-confidence. Cho, on the other hand, looked stung.

"What do you mean to say, Harry?" She was frowning, almond-shaped eyes shining.

"Oh, nothing, just to say, I used to think you had morals. I _used_ to think you didn't go around, fucking whoever you like, but eh, whatever, no matter, do what you want."

She stood up, looking wounded. "Fine," She exclaimed furiously. "You go on, acting all high-and-mighty, Mr. Superstar, but remember this: _I_ was the one, until about thirty seconds ago, who stood up for you, who believed in you, and all that…that… Bullshit you said about You-Know-Who being back! What the hell was I thinking? To believe in a jerk like you! Ugh! And who I _fuck_ is my business, so get your nose out of it!" She shook her head, her hair flying out of her tightly-woven bun, causing her appearance to take on that of someone slightly mad. And with a sharp "ugh!" she began to walk away from him. Then she stopped, appearing to have second thoughts on leaving, and strode back, slapping him on the face as hard as her small body could muster, causing him to be pushed back, cheek stinging. Cho then proceeded to storm out angrily, cursing loudly as she slammed the door behind her.

Harry looked after her with narrowed eyes, and then turned to look around; noticing every eye in the pub was on him, looking perplexed. Hermione and Ron were outside, looking strangely at him as well. It appeared he and Cho had caused quite the ruckus. "What're you all looking at?" He yelled at the bystanders, who all quit their staring and continued with their own business accordingly, cheeks slightly red.


	7. A New Interest?

**Thanks so much for all the reviews which were written, and the favorites and alerts to which my story was added! I appreciate it so much. Keep doing that! Remember, if you want a story, I need payment. My payment is your reviews. Feedback is the highest form of flattery for me, as MizzTwilight will learn in this chapter. So, a note to all my readers: Review, and you will be rewarded. End A/N**

Harry sat in the Great Hall the next morning at breakfast, head in hands. He knew in his heart that he shouldn't have said what he did to Cho; she didn't deserve it at all. He was such an idiot for saying that. He had seen the looks Cho's friends gave him when he walked through the hallways; they were scalding and loathing. He heard them whispering about him when he passed them; they didn't even bother to stop talking when he was within earshot.

Now they didn't just think he was a fool for the story about Voldemort returning; no, that was old news. Now the big story was how he had insulted an innocent girl and pissed her off to the point where she slapped him. Speaking of which, he still had a rather large burn mark on his face where her sharp nails had dug into his skin.

As usual, Ron and Hermione were fussing over him constantly. They had witnessed much of what happened at the Hog's Head, and tried to console him to the best of their ability. Every now and then Ron would pat him on the back and say, "Well, you know what they say! Plenty of other fish in the sea!" and then would flash a grin. Harry would smile back meekly, and then turn away. And every night after dinner, Hermione would apply her healing ointment to his scarred cheek, muttering pitying words to him.

Nothing really helped.

Harry finished breakfast quickly, not allowing himself another glance at Hermione, and stood up, striding out of the Great Hall at a fast pace to avoid the looks dripping with rage, looking away from the other children for that very same reason.

He was walking so fast that he did not notice the girl right in front of him whom he went crashing into, causing her books to fly out of her hands and scatter on the floor. **A/N: I totally stole this from an episode of Gossip Girl, but I was too lazy to come up with something more original ;-). **

"Damnit, watch where you're- Oh, sorry," Harry regained his temper when he looked down at the girl he'd just bumped into; she was picking up her books. He bent down to help her. "Here you go," he mumbled handing the last book to her. "Really sorry about that."

"No, it's fine." The girl said, smiling warmly.

Harry frowned. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

She laughed nervously; pushing a blonde lock of hair back into place as she straightened up. Her green eyes shone when they looked into his. "Yes, I just transferred here from Beauxbatons. I'm Torrelline, Tori for short." She smiled. "And your name?"

"Harry, Harry Potter." He reached out his hand to shake hers. He expected her face to light up with recognition, just like all the other girls' faces always did. Her eyes would grow wide with fascination as she asked to see his scar, and then she would ask him if he remembered anything from the incident with "You-Know-Who", in a quivering voice. The same, as always. Yes, any minute now that would occur. Just about…now.

Any.

Minute.

Now.

But the moment never came. Her eyes did not change size, her face didn't begin to glow, and she asked no questions. She simply nodded politely. "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you." She then smiled shyly and walked away.

"Er-" He had half a mind to call out to her, ask if he could walk her to class, what House she was in, that sort of thing…but he didn't. That was what he did with every other girl. And Tori just…wasn't every other girl. He cocked his head as he watched her walk away.

It was simply perplexing. How was it that, if every wizard in the world knew his name, then how did this one girl not know him? He had mentioned his name and she hadn't even batted an eyelid. It was as if…the whole story, everything with Voldemort, had never occurred. As if…he, Harry Potter, did not exist as a celebrity who was written into the dictionary and children's books, but rather as an ordinary boy.

He began to think about this some more. Usually, at the mention of Harry Potter, and one glance at his forehead, girl's fawned over him, stared at him in the hallways, and talked about him with their friends (_"He just looked my way! Somebody pinch me!"_). It was an ego trip for him, that was certain, and yet, as little pleasure as he gained from ego trips, he didn't like at all the way his ego was feeling now.

He had always thought of himself as someone whom everybody automatically knew; and suddenly this was not so. It was a strange thought. Perhaps there was an entire population of wizards out there who did not know who he was! Maybe somewhere, obviously somewhere Tori came from, there were more people who had lived their life without once thinking about the Boy Who Lived.

He couldn't get that image into his mind. The famous Harry Potter, not mentioned in a household?

He knew he sounded like a jerk that was way too full of himself; he couldn't help it. It made no sense.

Then again, girls always tended to gain a bit _too_ much of an obsession with him upon finding out who he was. They always seemed to fawn over him a bit _too_ much, flirt just a bit _too_…flirtatiously. Maybe this would be okay, to have someone in his life who for once could treat him as a normal person.

It was decided; he would not tell her.


	8. Hogsmeade

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been SUCH a long time since I updated, but as of now I have a pretty good idea of where I want this story to go... Hopefully updates will begin coming quicker! Keep reviewing! It makes me happy! Alrighty, here's chapter 8! Yayy! Please review. Thanks a mil! **

**~Futureauthor612~**

* * *

Harry walked into the Great Hall that night for dinner, his eyes unconsciously scanning the large room for Tori. He couldn't help but forget about Cho when he met her only hours before. She was beautiful. Her green eyes that shone like cats' which, he could only assume, probably glowed in the dark. Her blonde hair, naturally platinum, shiny, and waist-length; the way it swished against her hips when she walked.

He liked her. That was for sure.

No getting around the fact that he wanted her too. For, accompanying the sharp feeling in his chest when he saw her was a tingling feeling below his belt. He had only ever felt that for one girl before: Cho. And that didn't turn out so fabulously.

So, he was a bit timid. But at the same time he wanted her so bad, he didn't know how to control it. He _needed_ her. Where the hell was she, anyways? He looked all around but couldn't see her.

_Oh well,_ he thought, assuming she must either not be there or he just couldn't spot her. He shrugged to himself and went to sit next to Hermione and Ron, choosing not to tell them about his new interest.

Later that day, on his way to Potions, he heard a voice call his name. He turned around; it was Tori.

"Hey," He said, walking up to her. "I've been looking all over for you!"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I've just been busy." She said dismissively.

"So," She continued, coming closer to him. "My question is, who's your date for the trip to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't really have a date, you know how it is…" He looked up at her and grinned.

She giggled. "Meet you in the front hall Friday at six?"

He nodded, and she walked off. _Damnit,_ he thought, realizing he had once again forgotten to ask what House she was in, and what year.

When he turned around to continue walking towards Potions, he noticed a face staring at him, the eyes glistening with tears, the jaw set hard.

It was Cho.

She turned away sharply, practically running down the hall away from him.

Harry inhaled deeply. Some lessons, Cho would just have to learn the hard way.

Friday arrived in a flash. Before Harry knew it, classes were out for the weekend and he was getting ready for his date with Tori. Ron was also getting ready to go to Hogsmeade, but just with Hermione as friends. They came to face each other at the bottom of the stairs to their dormitory, straightening their ties.

Ron grinned. "Who would have thunk it, Harry Potter on a date?"

Harry laughed. Hermione smiled at the boys. "Well, he _is_ the famous Harry Potter. Any girl would consider herself _lucky_ to be on a date with him."

Harry raised an eyebrow and chuckled, but looked away. What they didn't know was, Tori had no idea who he even was. He still hadn't gotten used to not being recognized. It was so… unnerving.

A voice knocked him out of his thoughts. "Hey," He turned around to find Tori climbing through the portrait hole into the common room.

"Hey, Tori," Harry replied, walking up to her and hugging her. He figured a hug was appropriate. He turned to find Ron and Hermione looking expectant, slight smirks on their faces. "Oh, erm…Tori, this is Ron and that's Hermione. Ron and Hermione, this is Tori."

"Hi, Tori," said Hermione and Ron in unison; they stood awkwardly for a moment or two smiling at each other. Harry vaguely wondered if this was how it felt to introduce a date to your parents.

Harry clapped his hands together, ending the awkward silence. "Alright! Isn't it…time to go?" He realized with a twinge that his voice sounded a bit too hopeful, but the others nodded, and they began shuffling out of the common room.

"Harry," Tori said, knocking Harry out of his trance, his eyes following her glistening blonde locks sway back and forth as they walked together through the streets of Hogsmeade. "Something on your mind?"

Her green eyes were opened so wide, looked so innocent, that Harry shook his head, smiling. "Just thinking about how lucky I am to have met you." She smiled back at him, and he reached out his hand to grasp hers affectionately as they continued down the street.

"Wow," whispered Tori as they came to an abrupt halt outside a massive hot pink building Harry had never seen before. On the wall, in large loopy light pink writing, were the words: _Love Factory_. Tori gasped, looking at Harry mischievously.

His mouth opened as if to say something, but ended up simply gaping like a fish when she shot him her signature pout. "Please??" She begged, looking up at him sadly. "It'll be fun…I swear we won't stay long!"

_Oh, God, what am I getting myself into? _Thought Harry as he sighed and allowed her to pull him inside, giggling.

The room they entered was dimly lit, pink fluorescent lights gleaming from random places on the pink ceiling (or maybe the ceiling just looked pink from all the lights; Harry's "man-vision" couldn't distinguish). Harry thought of Professor Umbridge for a moment, thinking of how much she'd love this room. Tori gasped again, looking around, a blissful look on her face. She dragged him down, further into the room.

All of the sudden Harry saw a large swan appear out of nowhere, gliding towards them. When it went under the light he realized it was a swan boat, swishing down the river to meet them where they were standing on the dock. It crooned its neck, and Harry knew it was a magical swan boat. He sighed, looking at Tori uncomfortably. No way was he going on a love boat; that kind of gooey stuff was for girls.

But, of course, Tori gave him her usual angelic pout, batting her eyelashes, and before he knew it they were sailing along the peaceful river, and Tori's arm was around his waist. She snuggled up against his side, sighing happily. "I'm really glad we're here… together."

Harry smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She giggled lightly. "You know," she said, "When I first met you; I… wasn't sure what to make of you. I mean, you're so…cute, and _so_ nice. I didn't think that kind of combination was possible in a boy." She pulled away from him so she could look into his eyes in the dim glow. "And…I really like it."

She reached up with her hand to touch his cheek lightly, her eyes glimmering. Then she leaned in, pressing her lips onto his jaw right below his ear. He felt his heart quicken, the way it had previously felt whenever he'd looked at Cho. Tori pulled back at the sound of his breath intake, looking cautious. "Is something wrong?" she asked, upset.

Harry smiled at her, shaking his head firmly, then reached around her to place his hands onto the small of her back, drawing her close to him, their lips meeting in a frantic haze of fireworks. Her hands flew to his neck, pulling him closer. He sighed into her mouth, pushing her down onto the seat till her back hit the hard plastic.

For a few moments they lay there, lips engulfing each other, when suddenly Tori's hands found his chest and pushed on it, until Harry grudgingly broke apart from her, and they moved into a sitting position.

Harry looked at her confusedly, and she laughed. "Baby," she whispered, cupping his cheek into her hand again and leaning towards him, making his breath speed up once more. "Save the friskiness for when we know each other a _little _better."

He felt his cheeks flame underneath her cool hands, his face reddening. He looked away ashamedly; it had been a while since he'd had any action. Fifteen years, in fact.

"Harry," Tori said, chuckling again. She kissed his cheek after removing her hands, and then wrapped her arms around his waist once more, burying her face in his shirt. She sighed into his chest, and he put his arm around her.

She began to hum a tune. Harry closed his eyes, listening to the soft melody. It sounded remotely familiar; as though he had heard it in a dream before. It was strangely calming; he forgot all of his qualms with Cedric, with Cho; his very recent embarrassment with Tori. Everything faded away; his curiosity about Tori and her past, and her present. Nothing mattered except him and Tori, right then and there.

With the sweet sounds of her song in his ear, Harry fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, only to be awakened at the end of their boat ride, with no recollection of what had happened there whatsoever.


End file.
